Girard-Perregaux

Girard-Perregaux released an interesting, ultra-light minute repeater at Baselworld 2016; the Limited Edition Titanium Tourbillon Minute Repeater. Its titanium case measures (45 mm x 9.35 mm), and is not only significantly lighter than the 18K gold version, it also has better sound resonance – thanks to the use of titanium – which is crucial to any minute repeater. Further, a unique, open-worked dial and mainplate, offer an incredible view into the Tourbillon Minute Repeater movement, without needing to turn the watch over. Of course, the back is a site to be seen as well. The hours and minutes are indicated on the titanium outer ring, marked with pink gold indexes for the hours, which contrasts nicely with the matte titanium finish, and dots for the minutes. The hour and minute hands are in pink gold as well and have been

Girard-Perregaux’s Gyromatic timepiece came out in 1957 and offered improved automatic winding by way of a two Gyroton wheels, with 7 jewels each to reduce friction. The result, at the time, was faster and more reliable winding. By the 1960s, GP introduced the Gyromatic in a high frequency version (5hz/ 36,000 mph), up from the earlier (2.5Hz/18,000 vph and 3Hz/21,600 vph) models. This year, Girard-Perregaux introduced the Heritage 1957, that has neither the Gyromatic winding system nor the high-frequency movement. What is does share with the Gyromatic, however, is a similar aesthetic. Vintage 1960s Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic At 40 mm x 9.45 mm, and in a steel case no less, the Heritage 1957 pays homage to the company’s rich past and will surely please purists. The dial has a beautiful champagne color with a sunburst effect, punctuated with polished and applied

Introducing the Chrono Circuito, part of Girard-Perregaux’s new sports “Sport Competizione” watch collection, which debuted today along with a second chronograph in steel, called the Stradale. Made of a carbon and titanium composite, the Circuito case is ultra-light. In fact, according to the manufacture, the case material is 8 times lighter than steel and 4 times lighter than titanium. Moreover, the inclusion of titanium gives the carbon a metallic effect, which is meant to mimic high-performance race car bodies. And like race cars, it is not about being flashy, it is all about performance. In the flesh, the new carbon-titanium material has a dark grey to black matte finish which almost looks like it has been sandblasted. On the wrist, it feels excellent, thanks to the conservative proportions (42 mm diameter and not too thick), coupled with the fact that

In addition to the new Laureato we showed you earlier this month, Girard-Perregaux will debut a new openworked timepiece at Baselworld 2016, called the 1966 Skeleton. Based on caliber GP1800, the anthracite gray ruthenium movement has been skeletonized, and then hand chamfered, polished, and satin-brushed. Automatic caliber GP01800-0006, consists of 173 total components, 25 jewels, and has a 54-hour power reserve. Visible at 12 o’clock is a Microvar variable inertia balance that oscillates at 4Hz (or 28,800 vibrations per hour) and is exclusive to Girard-Perregaux. A sleek 38 mm x 9.27 mm 18k pink gold case, with a sapphire caseback, houses this impressive movement, which displays just hours, minutes, and seconds. Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands correspond with the chapter ring, which consists of applied hour indexes and minute transfers, on the flange – because there is no actual dial.

In 1953, Rolex introduced their now iconic Submariner sports watch, in a steel case. By the 1970s, the top watchmaking houses began to introduce steel sports watches as well. Beginning with Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972. Followed by Girard-Perregaux in 1975 with the Laureato, Patek Phillipe with the Nautilus in 1976, IWC with the Ingneniuer SL in 1976, and the Vacheron Constantin 222 in 1977. With the exception of Girard-Perregaux, all the aforementioned models, or their predecessors, are still in production at these prestigious watch houses today. That of course, is about to change, with the re-launch of the Laureato at Baselworld 2016. The initial collection will be offered in a 41 mm x 10.10 mm steel case, with polished octagonal bezel, satin-brushed case, integrated bracelet with polished center links, baton-shaped luminescent hands, and either a silvered or blue

Earlier this week, we told you about the new Girard-Perregaux 1966 in stainless steel, which is available in stores now for $7,500 on alligator strap and $8,200 on steel bracelet. And today, we have photos of the new 1966 in the metal.

Girard-Perregaux debuts its first 1966 timepiece in stainless steel. The fully polished steel case measures a sleek 40 mm by 8.9 mm, and features an opaline silvered dial with leaf-shaped hour and minute hands, and thin seconds hand. Bevelled steel indexes mark the hours and black dots mark the minutes/seconds. An aperture at 3 o’clock indicates the date. The 27 jewel in-house automatic, caliber GP03300-0030, beats at 4Hz and powers all the hour, minute, second and date functions. Maximum power reserve is 46-hours. The movement is finished with a perlage decoration on the main plate and Cotes de Geneve stripes on the bridges and rotor. According to Girard-Perregaux, “The collection has become iconic for Girard-Perregaux, which was launched as a tribute the year 1966 when it included the first high-frequency movement, with a balance beating at a frequency of 36,000

Girard-Perregaux introduces a new 1966 timepiece with a patented large date display function. The 1966 Large Date and Moon Phases has a mechanism consisting of two superimposed disks built into the GP03300 manufacture movement. According to the manufacturer, “It displays the date with no border between the digits for exceptional readability. The upper disk is virtually invisible thanks to its transparency and its thickness of 0.10 mm, equivalent to a sheet of paper.” Notably, the date advances in less than 100th of a second. The 1966 Large Date and Moon Phases case measures 41 mm by 11.22 mm and is available in either a white or pink gold. All surfaces are polished to a mirror finish. The crystal is slightly domed, as are the bezel and the dial. The opaline dial features baton-type markers and leaf-shaped hour and minute hands.

For Only Watch 2015, Girard-Perregaux produced a one-off Vintage 1945 XXL with Large Date and Moon Phase in a titanium DLC case with a blue polycrystalline transparent dial. This rectangular timepiece comes in a case measuring 36.10 mm x 35.25 mm by 11.74 mm thick. At twelve o’clock is a large jumping date indicator which displays the date on a pair of discs, one of which is transparent, and is the subject of a patent. A moon phase indicator combined with a continuous small seconds function sits at six o’clock. Arabic hour numerals and indexes have been applied to the dial, along with a printed minute track. Powering the watch is automatic in-house caliber GP03300-0105 which runs at 4Hz, has 282 components (32 jewels) and a 46-hour power reserve. Functions include hour, minute, small second, large date and moon phases.

This year at Baselworld, Girard-Perregaux debuted The Chamber of Wonders which consists of three artistic models within the 1966 collection. The three dials are distinguished by three historic maps: The Pearl of Wonders, The Terrestrial Map and The New World “Novus Orbis.” Each version is limited to 18 pieces and comes in a 40 mm pink gold case, powered by GP caliber 3300 automatic movement. The New World “Novus Orbis” is pictured in this post (Ref. 49534-52-R06-BB60), and its dial design is based on the work of Sebastian Münster (1488-1552). According to Girard-Perregaux, the Novus Orbis is, “The most colorful of the maps contained in La Chambre des Merveilles, it displays creative fields populated with fragments organized into a mosaic. It is made with genuine stone marquetry, blending the tones of blue and pink aventurine, calcite and Canadian nephrite. It